Stephen Alvarez
Encyclopedia
Stephen Alvarez is a photojournalist who produces global stories about exploration, culture, religion, and the aftermath of conflict. He has been a National Geographic photographer since 1995. His pictures have won awards in Pictures of the Year International and Communications Arts and have been exhibited at Visa Pour L’Image International Photojournalism Festival in Perpignan, France.
His first National Geographic assignment in 1995 took him over 20,000 feet up into the Peru
vian Andes
to photograph the discovery of a 500-year-old Incan Mummy Juanita
, the Ice Maiden.
He continued his work for National Geographic with several expedition stories. He travelled to Borneo to document exploration of the caves of Sarawak
to aid their conservation.
In Belize, Alvarez covered a 1999 jungle expedition to map Chiquibul, the longest cave in Central America.
In Mexico he photographed a poisonous hydrogen sulfide
cave, Cueva de Villa Luz
, where scientists study clues to the origins of life.
He traveled to the Middle East for National Geographic in 2001-2002 to photograph the deserts of the Empty Quarter and the immense caves of Oman on the Selma Plateau including Majlis al Jinn
.
The Nature Conservancy
assigned Alvarez to document ongoing cave conservation and exploration in the southeastern United States for a 2004 article.
In 2004 Alvarez won a Banff Centre
grant to photograph the Cave of the Swallows, a deep vertical pit in Mexico, and presented his work at Banff in 2006.
The Maya Underworld story, published in the November 2004 National Geographic Magazine, took Alvarez to Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras. The story covers the worldview of today’s Maya peoples
through their rituals and religion as well as their archeological past. The Maya Underworld has roots in the Maya sacred book the Popol Vuh
. Alvarez was invited to exhibit this work at Visa pour L’Image International Photojournalism Festival in 2005.
Alvarez has taken time from his assignment career to document the ongoing conflict and its aftermath in northern Uganda
and southern Sudan
. One of his photographs of the cycle of violence on the Uganda/Sudan border won an award in 2004 Pictures of the Year International.
On another National Geographic assignment Alvarez photographed the deepest cave in the world, Voronya Cave
, located 2000 meters beneath the Caucasus Mountains in the breakaway Russian republic of Abkhazia
.
He photographed subterranean Rome in 2005 for National Geographic.
In 2006 National Geographic assigned Alvarez the story Raging Danger, which documents the river caves of Papua New Guinea
. This story won a Communication Arts award in Editorial Series.
Traveling across the Pacific in 2007, Alvarez photographed Peopling the Pacific, a story about the earliest voyagers of the Pacific Islands. His adventure included sailing on the traditional Hawaiian vessel, the Hokule'a. The story was published in National Geographic Magazine in March 2008.
In June 2009 Deep South, Alvarez's photographs of caves in the southeastern United States, including Rumbling Falls Cave, Tennessee, was published in National Geographic Magazine.
His most recent National Geographic story published in November 2009 covers Madagascar's Tsingy de Bemaraha Stone Forest.
Photography career
Stephen Alvarez’s first magazine assignment came in 1991 from Time Magazine to photograph discoveries in Mammoth Cave. He has continued to photograph cave exploration and underground landscapes throughout the world.His first National Geographic assignment in 1995 took him over 20,000 feet up into the Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
vian Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
to photograph the discovery of a 500-year-old Incan Mummy Juanita
Mummy Juanita
Momia Juanita , also known as the Inca Ice Maiden and Lady of Ampato, is the well-preserved frozen body of an Incan girl who was killed as an offering to the Inca gods sometime between 1450 and 1480, at approximately 11–15 years old...
, the Ice Maiden.
He continued his work for National Geographic with several expedition stories. He travelled to Borneo to document exploration of the caves of Sarawak
Sarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
to aid their conservation.
In Belize, Alvarez covered a 1999 jungle expedition to map Chiquibul, the longest cave in Central America.
In Mexico he photographed a poisonous hydrogen sulfide
Hydrogen sulfide
Hydrogen sulfide is the chemical compound with the formula . It is a colorless, very poisonous, flammable gas with the characteristic foul odor of expired eggs perceptible at concentrations as low as 0.00047 parts per million...
cave, Cueva de Villa Luz
Cueva de Villa Luz
Cueva de Villa Luz is a cave near Tapijulapa in the southern Mexican state of Tabasco. The springs within the cave are rich in hydrogen sulfide, a gas that is a potent respiratory toxicant and smells like rotten eggs...
, where scientists study clues to the origins of life.
He traveled to the Middle East for National Geographic in 2001-2002 to photograph the deserts of the Empty Quarter and the immense caves of Oman on the Selma Plateau including Majlis al Jinn
Majlis al Jinn
Majlis al Jinn also Majlis al-Jinn , local name: Khoshilat Maqandeli is the ninth largest cave chamber in the world, as measured by the surface area of the floor. It ranks higher when measured by volume...
.
The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is a US charitable environmental organization that works to preserve the plants, animals, and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive....
assigned Alvarez to document ongoing cave conservation and exploration in the southeastern United States for a 2004 article.
In 2004 Alvarez won a Banff Centre
Banff Centre
The Banff Centre, formerly known as The Banff Centre for Continuing Education, is an arts, cultural, and educational institution and conference complex located in Banff, Alberta...
grant to photograph the Cave of the Swallows, a deep vertical pit in Mexico, and presented his work at Banff in 2006.
The Maya Underworld story, published in the November 2004 National Geographic Magazine, took Alvarez to Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras. The story covers the worldview of today’s Maya peoples
Maya peoples
The Maya people constitute a diverse range of the Native American people of southern Mexico and northern Central America. The overarching term "Maya" is a collective designation to include the peoples of the region who share some degree of cultural and linguistic heritage; however, the term...
through their rituals and religion as well as their archeological past. The Maya Underworld has roots in the Maya sacred book the Popol Vuh
Popol Vuh
Popol Vuh is a corpus of mytho-historical narratives of the Post Classic Quiché kingdom in Guatemala's western highlands. The title translates as "Book of the Community," "Book of Counsel," or more literally as "Book of the People."...
. Alvarez was invited to exhibit this work at Visa pour L’Image International Photojournalism Festival in 2005.
Alvarez has taken time from his assignment career to document the ongoing conflict and its aftermath in northern Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
and southern Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
. One of his photographs of the cycle of violence on the Uganda/Sudan border won an award in 2004 Pictures of the Year International.
On another National Geographic assignment Alvarez photographed the deepest cave in the world, Voronya Cave
Voronya Cave
The Krubera Cave is the deepest known cave on Earth. It is located in the Arabika Massif of the Gagrinsky Range of the Western Caucasus, in the Gagra district of Abkhazia, Georgia’s breakaway republic.The difference in the altitude of the cave's entrance and its deepest explored point is...
, located 2000 meters beneath the Caucasus Mountains in the breakaway Russian republic of Abkhazia
Abkhazia
Abkhazia is a disputed political entity on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and the south-western flank of the Caucasus.Abkhazia considers itself an independent state, called the Republic of Abkhazia or Apsny...
.
He photographed subterranean Rome in 2005 for National Geographic.
In 2006 National Geographic assigned Alvarez the story Raging Danger, which documents the river caves of Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
. This story won a Communication Arts award in Editorial Series.
Traveling across the Pacific in 2007, Alvarez photographed Peopling the Pacific, a story about the earliest voyagers of the Pacific Islands. His adventure included sailing on the traditional Hawaiian vessel, the Hokule'a. The story was published in National Geographic Magazine in March 2008.
In June 2009 Deep South, Alvarez's photographs of caves in the southeastern United States, including Rumbling Falls Cave, Tennessee, was published in National Geographic Magazine.
His most recent National Geographic story published in November 2009 covers Madagascar's Tsingy de Bemaraha Stone Forest.
Biographical notes
Alvarez holds a B.A. in Comparative Religion from Sewanee: The University of the South. He lives in Sewanee, Tennessee, USA, with his wife, April, and their two children.Awards and exhibits
- Communications Arts 48, Editorial Series
- The Aftermath Project Auction 2006
- Uganda/Sudan Border Project 2006
- PDN Photo Annual 2006
- National Geographic Lecture Under the Map 2006
- Visa Pour L’Image Exhibit 2005
- Communications Arts 45
- Pictures of the Year International 2004
- Banff Mountain Centre Grant and Exhibit 2004